Setback for Kiran Bedi: SC orders L-G to seek relief in Madras HC

New Delhi, July 12: The Supreme Court on Friday disposed the appeal filed by Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi and the Union Government challenging the Madras High Court order which had earier said that the LG has no powers to interfere or act independently.

The Supreme Court said that it will not interfere with the order of the Division Bench of the Madras High Court. The court directed the Puducherry L-G to seek relief in the Madras HC, which refusing to entertain her appeal.

The Madurai bench of the High Court had in April ruled that the elected government has powers over service matters and cancelled two clarification orders by the centre in 2017 on the powers of the Lieutenant Governor.

A Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi today further said that Lieutenant Governor may approach division bench of the High Court against Madras High Court interim order, said reports. The High Court order had curbed the Lieutenant Governor's power earlier and disallowed her to interfere in the day-to-day administration.

The court had made it clear on Tuesday that the LG shall abide by the decisions taken by the Legislative Assembly of Puducherry, which is put in place by the people through elections.

In April, the Madras High Court order verdict came on a writ petition filed by Puducherry Congress MLA Lakshminarayanan in 2017 questioning Puducherry Lieutenant Governor's (L-G) powers to interfere in day-to-day administration of the union territory despite the presence of a council of ministers.

The Congress government and Bedi have been at logger heads for a long time.